Automatic gas shut-off and regulator.



Patented Hot. 29, I901.

(No-Mbdel.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVAH o. EBY, or AKRON, 01110.

AUTOMATIC GAS SHUT-'OFF AND REGULATOR.

'srncIFicA'rIoN forming part bf was latent N6. 685,327, dated October29, 1901. Application filed March 27,1901. Serial No. 53,116. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALVAH C. EBY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and-State of Ohio, haveinvented a'certain newand useful Improvement in Automatic Gas Shut-Ofis,Regulators, and Alarms, of which the following is a specification;

My invention has relation to improvements in that class of devicesdesigned to be used in connection with service or supply pipes forinflammable gas for lighting or fuel to cut off the supply upon afailure or a decided decrease of the gas-pressure, and thus prevent anescape of gas into apartments through burners that might have been openwhen the pressure failed upon a return of such pressure to form adangerous element liable to explosion by igniting from an open fire or amatch lighted by a person ignorant of the presence of the gas.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved device ofthe class named that will be simple in construction and effective inoperation, the parts of which will be readily accessible for inspectionand adjustmcnt.

A further object is to provide alarm mech anism to sound a signal towarn the user of the failure of the pressure, and a final object is toadapt the machine to regulate the flow of gas to the burners by thefluctuations of the gas-pressure, so that the light or heat will besteady.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects my invention consists in thepeculiar and novel construction, arrangement, and combination of partshereinafter described and then specifically pointed out in the claims,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a partofthis specification.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference-numeralsindicate like parts in the different views,- Figure l is an elevation ofmy improved device in condition to permit the gas to pass to the burnersand with the gasometer in vertical central section; Fig. 2, an elevationof the upper part of the gasometer, showing the contact-blades forclosing an electric circuit through an alarm-bell; and Fig. 3, a view ofthe servicepipe, valves, and actuating-lever in position 'ver 7,pivotally connected at one end with an end of a link 8, hinged to thetop of the receiver 6. The opposite end of the lever 7 is pivoted to oneend of a lever 9, and in the angle between the levers is a spring 10,which constantly tends to rock the free end of the lever 9 outward. Thefree end of the lever 9 terminates in a hook arranged to engage a pin 11on one end of a short handle 12, secured to the stern of the valve 3. Onthe face of the handle 12 and near the pin 11 is a block 13 to form astop to prevent the hook of the lever 9 from falling away from the pin11 until the handle is vertical and the valve 3 closed, as shown in Fig.3.

In operation, the receiver being empty, the

apparatus is caused to act by turning on the gas, thus permitting it toenter the receiver, and as it rises it will gradually tend to close thevalve 2, and the valve 3 is then opened by hand to admit gas to flow tothe burners, and the hook on the lever 9 is placed in engagement withthe pin 11 on the handle 12 and the machine is set ready to act. As gasis consumed in the burners the receiver will tend to fall, the effect ofwhich is to open the valve 2 Wider and partially close the valve 3,

and thus maintain a balance of pressure substantially the same withoutreference to the amount used in the service.-- The constant fluctuationof the gasometer keeps the levers in slight motion, that in turn rotatesboth valve-stems and serves to keep them from becoming fixed or corrodedin one position by long inaction.

If the gas is entirely shut 01f from the main or service pipe, thereceiver will gradually fall as the gas therein is exhausted until itreaches its line of movement. This, by means of the. lever 9 and handle12, closes valve 3 until the handle 12 stands vertically, as ap IOOpears in Fig. 3, when the hook will be pushed from the pin 11 by thespring, and hence if the gas-pressure is renewed in the main the valve 3will remain closed until turned by hand.

To notify the user, I provide an electric bell 14, whose terminal postsare connected, respectively, by wires 15 and 16 with the poles of abattery 17 and with contact-plates 18 and 19, mounted on a'support 20,insularly mounted on the tank of the gasometer. On the receiver 6 is acontact-arm 21, arranged and adjusted as the receiver descends to passbetween and make electrical contact with the contact-plates 18 19, andthus close the circuit through the battery and bell.

I claim as my invention 1. In a device of the kind described thecombination of a supply-pipe, two valves therein a pipe from saidsupply-pipe between said valves to a gasometer, a gasometer connected bya lever with one valve, a springpressed lever connecting said firstlever and a handle on said second valve, said last-mentioned lever beingprovided with a hook to engage a pin on said handle and to be releasedfrom engagement therewith by said spring when said. last-named valve isclosed substantially as shown and described.

2. In a device of the kind described the combination of a supply pipe,two valves therein one having a lever on its stern and the other havinga short handle attached to its stem, a pivoted link attached to one endof said first lever having a hook on its free end to engage a pin onsaid handle when said last-named valve is open and to be rocked fromsuch engagement when said valve is closed, a gasometer attached by apipe to said supply-pipe between said valves and having its receiverattached by a link to said firstnained lever, an electric alarm,containing a bell, battery and contact-plates adapted to ring said bellwhen said gasometer operates, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the above I hereunto set my hand in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALVAII O. EBY.

In presence off-- 0. E. HUMPHREY, O. P. IIUMPHREY;

